ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. rule — a law
  3. ground — crushed
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. swing — to play on
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. swing — music
  8. degree — from a university
  9. degree — an amount
  10. present — the time now
  11. board — to get on
  12. present — there
  13. board — a committee
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. degree — temperature
  16. pound — a weight
  17. swing — in golf
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. present — a gift
  21. ground — the earth
  22. rule — government
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — to cool the air

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com